Time of Your Life
by silver-nightstorm
Summary: She was the very first to pull her baby into a bone-crushing embrace that would put Hagrid to shame. And she was the very first to get tears all over her daughter's new graduation dress robes.


Written for _The Graduation Competition!_ on the HPFC forum :) My character was Hermione Granger, the emotion was sadness, and the prompt was bottle (but I didn't really use that one ^^').

Greenday's song "Time of Your Life" is referenced in here a bit, and the title. It was my graduation song in elementary school (huh, what?) lol. But it's very deep and holds amazing memories. Listen to it while you read this, it will make you cry :)

**Time of Your Life**

**By silver-nightstorm**

**Summary:** She was the very first to pull her baby into a bone-crushing embrace that would put Hagrid to shame. And she was the very first to get tears all over her daughter's new graduation dress robes.

XX

As little Rosie walked up to the graduation platform, Hermione Jean Weasley did her very best to hold back her tears. Reaching for her husband, she pulled his handkerchief out of his hands and daubed at the rivulets of water running down her face. She had to get a hold of herself. She was a grown woman. It was just plain _embarrassing_ for her to sit here, bawling at her eldest's graduation. It was inappropriate.

And Merlin knew that Rose was going to make fun of her mother later on. "Mum! I can't _believe_ you were crying over such a silly thing! I was graduating, not _dieing_!" after which Hermione would respond with a snappish, "Don't you dare say something like that! Half of my class didn't graduate because they died!" and Rosie would make her sad apologetic face, and Hermione would melt and hug her daughter and apologize for shouting when she didn't really shout in the first place and her response was quite valid.

Staring at Rosie sitting on the stage, Hermione couldn't believe her eyes. When had her little baby gotten that old? When had she turned from a gurgling newborn to a beautiful, confident, young woman? What happened to all the years in between? Weren't babies supposed to become crawling toddlers, whiny children, awkward preteens, and rebellious teenagers? What happened to the 17 years that she was _supposed_ to have with her daughter?

Hermione Jean Weasley nee Granger, 43 years old, gave up. She hugged Harry, Ginny, and James tightly and kept flashbacks at bay as Albus came onto stage to get his diploma, looking shockingly similar to his father. She sobbed freely as Rosie stepped up onto the stage to receive her diploma. She cheered louder than any of the other parents as her daughter smiled and threw her fist in the air with a triumphant shout. She smiled proudly as Rosie, top in her class, gave her speech after no-longer-little Scorpius Malfoy (who was ranked second, because _her_ daughter was the very best). And when the ceremony was over, she was the very first to run up to her daughter and her two best friends, Albus and Scorpius. She was the very first to pull the three young adults into a bone-crushing embrace that would put Hagrid to shame. And she was the very first to get tears all over her daughter's new dress robes.

"Mum!" protested Rose. "What are you _doing_?"

Hermione smiled sadly and pulled away. "My little girl is all grown up now; I have to cry a tad."

And, surprising everyone – the entire Weasley Clan, the Malfoys, the Potters, the Scamanders – little Rosie burst into tears and hugged her mother tightly.

"Mum! I love you!" wailed Rose. "I… I don't know what I'll do without you!" she hiccupped, grabbing her mother's pink dress robes in her hands and refusing to let go. Hermione gently pulled her daughter away, pulling her hands away from the fabric of her clothes and drying her tears with her handkerchief.

"You shouldn't be crying today," said Hermione softly. "This isn't a sad day for you, you're finally free."

"But I don't want to be free," whimpered Rose. "I'm terrified. I don't know how to do anything! Not without you there, helping me…"

Hermione turned her daughter to face her family and friends. "Look there," said Hermione softly. "Who do you see there?"

"I… Scorpius, Albus, Lily, James, Auntie Ginny, Uncle Harry…" Rose sniffled. "Lorcan, Lysander, Luna, Rolf… everyone…"

Hermione smiled, smoothing her daughter's slightly frizzed red curls. "They're here for you. Always. As am I." Hermione hugged her daughter from behind. "Just because you're graduating doesn't mean I disappear forever. I'm always here for you. And I always will be. And your cousins will be here as well. So will Lorcan and Lysander… and Scorpius. You can count on them. Things will be strange. Things will be crazy. But it's all for the best. And I will _always_ be there."

Rose spun around and gave her mother a tight hug. "Don't ever leave me," she whispered. "I know I'm a brat, and I know I say very rude things to you sometimes, but I love you Mum. I love you so much, and… and I just want to know you'll always be there because Circe knows I'll need you!"

"I'll always be there for you. Never forget this, Rosie. You're a smart, resourceful, beautiful witch," said Hermione gently. "You can do anything you want to. Now, wipe that frown off of your face, and go to that party you were talking about! This is the time of your life."

Rose held onto her mother for a few more seconds before pulling away. She grabbed Scorpius and Albus and dragged them into the castle with her, wiping a few stray tears off and waving backwards to her mother.

Hermione sighed wistfully as Ronald came behind her and hugged her. "Are you alight?" he asked carefully.

Hermione smiled wanly. "I don't think I'll ever be perfectly back to normal, but… I feel better. She's going to do big things in her life…"

"My little know-it-alls," whispered Ron. "Now, don't you worry about her."

Hermione wiped up the last of her tears and handed the sodden handkerchief back to Ron. "I don't need to worry about my daughter," she said. "She had great friends, and a great mind. She… She'll do wonderfully."

Sixteen-year-old Hugo Weasley groaned as he watched his parents. "Oh, bullocks. Mum's going to be the same exact way next year, won't she?"

Hermione laughed and pulled her son into a tight embrace. Smiling up at Hogwarts castle, Hermione and Ron ambled out of the grounds with the rest of the family and apparated home.

**XX**

Well, even though I'm not graduating until next year, my mother is exactly like this right now. Please review~ I hope you enjoyed it~


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